"The Kreutzer Sonata" portrays an intense conflict between sexual desire and moral constraint. "How Much Land Does a Man Need?" is a simple, moving tale of peasant life with a moral lesson; the hero of "The Death of Ivan Ilych," after a lifetime of struggle, finds faith and love only as he faces death. Explanatory footnotes.
The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Short Stories
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“Moments of dramatic genius: a wracking vision of marriage as jealousy nourished, hatred voluptuously fed, rage taken for breakfast.”—Elizabeth Hardwick
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Russian
Original Language: Russian
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The highlight of this book for me had to be re-reading "The Death of Ivan Ilych" again after all these years. I read it for the first time years and years ago as required reading in middle school and this is the first time that I have come back to it since that time. I found myself unsurprisingly better equipped to read and appreciate this story now and was exceptionally pleased to have read it again.
This edition contains three short stories that were written after Tolstoy made his conversion to intense Christian beliefs. They are interesting to read together, particularly given the common theme about characters with mistaken ideas about what will bring them contentment.
"How Much Land Does a Man Need?" is a parable which examines greed and contentment through the story of a peasant who believes that he would be satisfied with his life if only he had a little bit more land.
"The Death of Ivan Ilych" tells the history of an outwardly prosperous but spiritually empty man who dies at the age of 45 after a fall in his home.
In "The Kreutzer Sonata" a man on a train relates to a fellow passenger what the circumstances were that led to the murder of his wife.
It is, at the very least, important to read these stories. The Kreutzer Sonata is particularly important in the history of literature. At its release, it was banned throughout much of Europe for indecency and has been inspiring debate about feminist issues and women characters in literature ever since that time.
The translation used in the Dover Thrift edition is competent, but has its awkward moments and is occasionally clunky and obtuse. I might personally recommend buying a different edition if you are planning a purchase.
This edition contains three short stories that were written after Tolstoy made his conversion to intense Christian beliefs. They are interesting to read together, particularly given the common theme about characters with mistaken ideas about what will bring them contentment.
"How Much Land Does a Man Need?" is a parable which examines greed and contentment through the story of a peasant who believes that he would be satisfied with his life if only he had a little bit more land.
"The Death of Ivan Ilych" tells the history of an outwardly prosperous but spiritually empty man who dies at the age of 45 after a fall in his home.
In "The Kreutzer Sonata" a man on a train relates to a fellow passenger what the circumstances were that led to the murder of his wife.
It is, at the very least, important to read these stories. The Kreutzer Sonata is particularly important in the history of literature. At its release, it was banned throughout much of Europe for indecency and has been inspiring debate about feminist issues and women characters in literature ever since that time.
The translation used in the Dover Thrift edition is competent, but has its awkward moments and is occasionally clunky and obtuse. I might personally recommend buying a different edition if you are planning a purchase.
14 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By Jane Sibley
Format:Paperback
Just returned from Book Discussion Group. Found Dover translation to be far inferior to Penguin Classic.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Ibsen once described Tostoy as a supremely great writer, when he wasn't being mad. On the evidence of "The Kreutzer Sonata", Tolstoy was a supremely great writer EVEN when he was mad.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
very well written.
Tolstoy writes fantastic stories. I like short stories, as a writer, because they give little glimpses into the mind of the writer.
Published 2 days ago by Kristy Hesketh
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Kreutzer Sonata
Not a huge lover of Tolstoy but his storytelling has it's good points.
Am still processing the issues in my mind and asking ;are they ever spoken about in today's... Read more
Am still processing the issues in my mind and asking ;are they ever spoken about in today's... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Kornelmichaelandrzej
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not much has changed
Not only are Tolstoy's stories enjoyable with their touching detail and, do contain valuable messages, they, are also beneficial in developing our writing skills. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Scott Walker
1.0 out of 5 stars
Kreutzer Sonata - Tolstoy
This Dover Edition has an incomplete translation of Tolstoy's Short Story. It should not have been issued as such and it should have been identified as incomplete. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Ralph J. Wedgwood
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kreutzer Sonata
The Kreutzer Sonata by Leo Tolstoy is a masterpiece. The book is short and is composed of three short stories. They are all sad, but unforgetable. Read more
Published on February 28, 2011 by B. Babetch
4.0 out of 5 stars
Yearning to Read Review
This was my first little bit of Tolstoy that I've read. I'm a HUGE fan of Dostoevsky and I knew I would love all kinds of Russian literature, so I was quite excited to get into... Read more
Published on January 30, 2011 by yearningtoread
3.0 out of 5 stars
5 Stars for Story, 1 for Edition
"The Kreutzer Sonata" is one of Leo Tolstoy's greatest short stories and thus one of the greatest ever. Read more
Published on March 2, 2010 by Bill R. Moore
5.0 out of 5 stars
This masterpiece is entertaining and raises many good questions
Leo Tolstoy presents radical views on sex and marriage in this magnificent tale, views that raise questions and evoke thought. Read more
Published on January 4, 2010 by Israel Drazin
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Tale of Obsesssion
A tale of obsession turned into murder, The Kreutzer Sonata follows Pozdynshev's descent into mental breakdown. Read more
Published on July 20, 2009 by Cloud Dreamer
5.0 out of 5 stars
What's the meaning of love?
This review is for the Oxford edition of Tolstoy's Kreutzer Sonata, which includes Family Happiness, The Cossacks, and Hadji Murad. Read more
Published on June 4, 2009 by Eric S. Kim
